Available from:

Keywords:

Abstract:

The magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurred during the
pre-dawn hours of January 17, 1994 provided a crucial
test for assessing our progress in earthquake resistant
design and construction over the past two decades,
following a similar magnitude event, the San Fernando
earthquake in 1971. A reconnaissance team was organized
by NIST through the auspices of the National Earthquake
Hazards Reduction Program and the Interagency Committee
on Seismic Safety in Construction, to observe the
damage, assess the performance of various types of
engineering structures, and document the effects of the
earthquake on the built environment: buildings,
bridges, and lifeline systems. This paper summarizes
what we learned from the reconnaissance effort. More
detailed documentation has been presented in an NIST
Special Publication 862, "1994 Northridge Earthquake:
Performance of Structures, Lifelines, and Fire
Protection Systems."

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department.